


Smile and Dial

by BadWolfRose (BadWolf1988)



Category: Harry Potter RPF
Genre: F/M, Family, Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-13
Updated: 2018-07-17
Packaged: 2018-08-08 12:23:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 12,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7757725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BadWolf1988/pseuds/BadWolfRose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sunny Whitmore was a single mother working as a manager in a call center when Tom Felton dropped into her life…can she afford to trust him and his affections?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t know Tom Felton…duh! This story never happened…duh! Everything about the way that FedEx operates in this story is true so they can go right on ahead and challenge me if they like. I worked Sunny’s job in college. I still have my employee paperwork and handbook saved somewhere…and my non-disclosure agreement expired last year…so they can shove it up their tailpipe seeing as they laid off over three hundred call agents and sent our jobs overseas with almost no notice. I’m still not allowed to mention the name of the third-party call center that I worked for that handled the FedEx account so Intratell Communications Center is not real…that I’m aware of. Any connection to any real call center is purely coincidental.
> 
> Author’s Note: The team names that “Michael” suggests in this story are actually the exact same names that the inspiration for “Michael” e-mailed to me and the agents working under me when I worked for FedEx. The comments he makes to the female employees are also based on fact. And just like with “Michael” and Sunny in this story, I lost my shit and had him walked the hell out of the building.

Sunny Whitmore slowly made her way up the cold metal stairs of the Intratell Communications Center in Los Angeles, California resigned to another mind-numbing day at work.

At the age of twenty-four, this is where she had ended up trapped, working for a third-party call center as a “team leader” for the company’s FedEx account. Basically, she spent all day trying to hype up a group of sixteen people enough so they sounded halfway cheerful when they cold-called existing FedEx customers to con them into purchasing unneeded extras for their shipping accounts. Smile and Dial. That was the company’s motto. It was a scientific fact that you could hear a person’s smile in their voice while on the phone. Call agents were taught during a six-week training course to always have a smile in their voices when calling customers because it made them sound more cheerful. The more cheerful an agent sounded, the more business they were likely to gain.

When Sunny wasn’t overseeing her agents, she was fielding manager transfer calls and explaining to the upper brass why her team members hadn’t made their one hundred calls a day quota (could they really be blamed for snow storms and hurricanes that prevented them from making contact with customers in certain areas of the country?) and answering stupid questions about the FedEx shipping process.

Why did she torture herself this way? That’s simple. It was the first decent paying job that she had been offered after her husband, Shawn, had been killed in Iraq while serving with the Army forcing her back into the workforce in order to support her two kids, Morgan, five, and Erica, three.

Scanning her security badge, Sunny made her way into the building and to her desk.

She found the usual items on her desktop. Slips of paper with the numbers of packages people on her team had gained, the previous week’s call stats, a large can of Monster Energy Drink that her best friend Nikki was kind enough to drop off every morning, and a note from her boss, Trish, letting her know of a meeting that she was needed for in a little under half an hour.

Sighing, she turned her computer on. Before she could even log onto Windows, she heard a small cough.

She looked up to see Abby, a quiet college student who worked on her team.

“What can I do for you, Abby?” Sunny smiled. She had always liked the shy girl.

“Have you checked your e-mail yet?” She asked meekly.

“No, I just got in, why?” She had a bad feeling about this.

“Remember when you sent us all an e-mail asking us for suggestions for our team name?”

No, this was not going to be good at all.

“Yes,”

“Well, Michael sent out a couple of suggestions that are kind of…crude and it’s upset a few people on the team.”

Sunny sighed. Michael was the team trouble maker. He just couldn’t keep his redneck mouth shut. She figured something like this would happen when she attempted to give her team of employees a name in the vain attempt at boosting morale.

“I’ll pull the e-mails, thanks for telling me, Abby,” Sunny logged onto her computer and signed into her e-mail.

Sure enough, her blood started to boil when she read his suggestions. He wanted to name the team the Express Dope Dealers and the Moist Packagers respectively. She hit the print button. She and Trish were going to have discuss Michael’s employment. She couldn’t take this shit anymore.

She grabbed the papers from the printer and made her way to Trish’s office for her meeting.

When she walked through the door her jaw almost dropped.

There sitting in front of her boss’s desk was the most beautiful man that she had ever seen…and she recognized him.

“Oh, Sunny, thanks for coming.” Trish stood. “I have something that I need to discuss with you if you don’t mind…it’s a little odd.”

Sunny took a seat next to the man who turned and gently smiled at her.

“We have a guest for the next two weeks,” Trish turned to the man. “This is Tom Felton…you might recognize him.”

Sunny nodded. “Yes, ma’am, I do,” She turned and held out her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Felton,”

“You as well, love,” He took her hand and gently kissed it. Sunny almost died on the spot. “You can call me Tom,”

Sunny smiled and nodded.

“As I was saying, Tom here is working on a movie where he plays a manager in a call center and he wanted to observe how we work. I was hoping you would let him shadow your team for the next few weeks.”

Sunny’s heart started beating a mile a minute at the thought of spending two weeks with the handsome actor.

“No problem,”

“Thanks, Sunny,” Tom smiled. “Can I call you Sunny?”

“It’s what my mama named me,” She chuckled a little.

“That’s all I have to discuss this morning but judging by those papers in your hand, something’s on your mind.” Trish pointed at Sunny’s hand.

“Oh, yeah, we have to do something about Michael. He sent out these team name suggestions in an e-mail blast to the entire team.” She handed over the papers as she stood.

Sunny almost laughed at how wide Trish’s eyes got. A curious Tom peaked over Trish’s shoulder.

“Maybe he’s just having a bit of fun at work?” Tom laughed.

“Maybe he’s always this gross and I’ve had enough,” She responded with a glare and her hands on her hips.

“What else has he done?” Trish asked.

“He called me a MILF yesterday and told Nikki how big his penis is,”

Trish dropped the papers and Tom stopped laughing.

“Send him in here,” Trish ordered.

Sunny nodded. “You ready to see how we work?” She turned to Tom.

He nodded and followed her towards her desk.

“Look, Sunny, I’m sorry if I offended you. I didn’t know that this bloke was such a prick.”

Sunny smiled. “No problem, I gave Michael the benefit of the doubt at first myself. Let me go and send him to Trish’s office and I’ll show you around,”


	2. Chapter 2

Three hours later Sunny was sitting at her desk, taking a break after setting Tom up with a headset and letting him sit with one of her agents to hear a few calls when he best friend Nicki made her way over.

"Is Tom Felton seriously spending the next few weeks in the center?" Nicki asked giddily as she perched on the edge of the desk.

"Yes, Nicki," Sunny sighed.

She was exhausted. Michael had to be escorted out of the call center, yelling every obscenity he could think of after Trish had fired him. For over an hour, the call system had developed a glitch where the auto-dialer was repeatedly calling the same numbers. During all of this, she was having to stop and explain things to Tom every ten minutes.

"Hey, you have like one of the biggest British hotties on earth spending eight hours a day as your shadow for the next few weeks. What's your malfunction?" Nicki lightly kicked her boot-clad foot.

"I'm just tired. Morgan's been having nightmares about Shawn again and Erica was up all night throwing up," Sunny ran a hand over her tired eyes.

Nicki gave her a small smile. "You don't have to go this all on your own, you know," She told her gently.

"Who am I supposed to turn to, Nic? I have no family, Shawn's dead...and when he was alive he wasn't much help anyway. I don't have a choice." She said more than a little bitterly.

"You have me," Nicki's tone left no room for argument. "You can call me day or night. You know that."

"Thanks, Nicki," She really was an awesome friend.

"Alrighty, I have to go. I have a meeting with Trish but I totally want to meet him later," She pointed a perfectly manicured nail towards Tom, who was in the process of unhooking his headset and beginning to head back her way.

She laughed lightly as her friend walked off and Tom came over and took the spot on the desk that Nicki had just vacated.

"That was the most boring thing that I think I have ever heard in my entire life," He commented as he placed the borrowed headset beside him on the desk.

Sunny laughed. "Try listening in on those calls on daily basis,"

"I feel for you, love, I really do," He chuckled and ran a hand through his hair.

Sunny checked the clock on her computer. "The team's about to break for lunch if you want to go and grab and something,"

"Sure, where do you want to go?" He countered.

Sunny felt the heat rushing to her face. "I didn't mean together,"

Tom gave a hearty laugh. "Yeah, but I did,"

She shook her head. "I can't,"

"Are you married? Have a boyfriend?" He pressed on.

"No, but I have two kids," She pointed to the picture frame on her desk. The photograph it held showed two giggling children with jet-black, curly hair and sapphire blue eyes, just like their mother.

"Cute," Tom nodded. "So, having kids keeps you from eating?"

"No, you're turning everything I say against me," Sunny was flustered.

"Then just agree so we can go and get a bite to eat...I'm starving," He smirked at her.

"Fine," Sunny grabbed her purse. "But I'm driving and you're paying,"

Laughing softly to himself, Tom followed her out of the building.


	3. Chapter 3

Sunny and Tom had settled on a small hole-in-the-wall diner that Sunny liked to frequent.

Speaking of Sunny, she was nervous as hell. It had been seven years since she had been on a date if that is what this lunch could be considered. The only person she had ever dated was her late husband – and that had culminated in a pregnancy and shotgun wedding when she was nineteen.

As the two of them waited on their burgers, Tom started the conversation.

"So, you have two kids?" He asked taking a sip of his soda.

Sunny nodded and smiled like the proud mother that she was. "Yeah, Morgan and Erica. Morgan is five and Erica just turned three."

Tom smiled. "I love kids. You should see my brother Ashley's son, Liam. He's nine and we look so much alike that they considered casting him to play my son in the last Harry Potter film but he ended up being too young for the role."

"So, are you happy to be done with the films?" She was hoping to change the topic of conversation to something less personal.

"Yes, thank Christ. I'm hoping now that they're over the Harry Potter craze will die down and I can have a somewhat normal life again." As he said this he pulled his baseball cap a little further down his head.

"I highly doubt that. From what I hear you're one of the most sought after actors in town at the moment," Sunny chuckled. Nicki was a struggling actress so she kept her abreast of all the latest industry news. "You're even on that show that Morgan likes...The Flash." She snapped her fingers as she remembered.

"Yeah, so I've heard," Tom said sarcastically. "I'm actually planning to take a break after my guest stint on the show and I wrap this film. You know, take a year or two off and just do nothing,"

Sunny had no idea what taking time off felt like and she probably never would with two children to support and put through college so she just nodded her head and smiled.

"What is this film about anyway? A manager in a call center doesn't sound like your kind of role." She again changed the subject.

"Yeah, but a manager in a call center who uses his position to steal customer credit card numbers for the I.R.A. is exactly the type of role that I've been offered recently. The film's called Connections and my character ends up getting his arse kicked by an Interpol agent played by Gerard Butler," He explained.

"That sounds like the perfect dude movie," Sunny laughed.

"Yeah, can't wait until it's over," Tom replied as their burgers were delivered. "May I ask you a personal question?"

"Why not?" Sunny responded. While she liked to keep things close to the vest, she was finding it all too easy to talk to Tom and she was actually enjoying herself.

"Where is your kids' dad? You said you weren't married and you don't have a boyfriend." He took a bite out of his burger.

Sunny took a deep breath. She had not been expecting that question but she was the one who had allowed the can of worms to be opened. This is what she got for letting her guard down. "He was an Army Ranger who was killed in Iraq while I was pregnant with Erica. I'm a widow."

"Oh shit...I'm a bloody arsehole...I'm so sorry," Tom shook his head.

"It wasn't a happy marriage," Sunny replied with very little emotion in her voice. "We got married because we were teenagers and I got pregnant with Morgan. We were both from South Carolina – the Bible Belt if you will. Shotgun weddings are all the rage.

"Can I ask what made your marriage so unhappy?" Tom continued to press.

"No," She replied shortly.

"Okkaayy...." Tom laughed in an attempt to break the tension. "Can I ask you if you will have dinner with me tonight?"


	4. Chapter 4

"Okkaayy...." Tom laughed in an attempt to break the tension. "Can I ask you if you will have dinner with me tonight?"

“I can't,”

“Why not?” Tom crossed his arms over his chest. “I like you and I want to get to know you better.”

“Because, as you already know, I have two kids. Two kids and no sitter.” Sunny replied.

Her heart was beating a mile a minute with the knowledge that this perfect specimen of a man actually liked her but she had to be realistic. They would never actually work. Their lives were just way too different.

“Then why don't you and the kids come over to my place and I'll...well, I won't cook you dinner – I'm sure you're fond of your kids and want them to continue living – but I'll order us some takeaway,” Tom laughed.

She could tell he was nervous but it didn't seem like he was giving up.

“Yet again, no,” Sunny was having the hardest time turning him down but it was for the best.

“Come on, why not?” Now, he was starting to sound annoyed.

“Because I'm a mother. My kids come first. I will not let my children get attached to men only for them to walk out of their lives. Morgan already has nightmares about his father,” She argued her side. “Not to mention that going to your place could very well end with my kids' pictures plastered all over magazines and the internet. They don't need that and I sure as hell don't want that for them.”

“Who said if we dated I'd walk away?” Tom countered. “Who said anyone had to get hurt? That is not a forgone conclusion. Tell your kids that I'm a friend. If we don't work out, you can tell them I'm a friend that moved away. It happens all the time and they won't think anything of it. But honestly, I think if you give me a chance, you'll never even have to have that conversation with them. And instead of coming to my place, why don't I just bring some food over to your place? The press will never know. We can get to know each other and I can meet your kids. We can figure out whatever this thing is between us. You can't tell me that you didn't feel something when we met this morning. I saw it in your eyes. I know I've never felt that before when first meeting a woman.”

Damn him and his logical way of thinking and sweet, endearing words.

“Fine,” She gave in.

“Fine,” Tom smiled triumphantly and leaned back in his chair.

Before they left to return to the call center, Tom made her program her phone number and address into his iPhone.

Sunny found herself not sure if she had made a date...or started the countdown on an emotional time bomb.


	5. Chapter 5

At seven that night, Sunny was running around her house like a man woman trying to make sure that everything was tidy...no small feat with two young children.

After lunch, Tom had spent the rest of the day shadowing her at the call center. Trying to focus on her work was difficult with the sexy Brit finding any reason he could to touch her. Whether it was gently brushing a hand against hers every time they were close or catching her as she almost fell down the back steps on her way out of the building. Of course, he wouldn't have had to catch her if he hadn't felt the need to wink at her as they were parting ways.

After throwing on a pair of jeans and a nice t-shirt, she started looking around for her favorite ballet flats. Tom was due to arrive any minute.

“Mama!” Erica started yelling at the top of her lungs from her bedroom.

Sunny made her way upstairs and down the hall to Erica's bedroom where she found her youngest child stuck halfway under her twin sleigh bed.

“Sweetpea, what in the world are you doing?” Sunny laughed as she pulled her out.

“I was trying to get Sara. I accidently kicked her under my bed.” Erica pointed.

Sara was Erica's favorite doll.

Sighing to herself, Sunny crawled under the bed to grab the doll.

“Wonderful view, love,” A familiar voice said laughingly.

Sunny pulled herself out from under the bed to find Tom in the doorway with Morgan. Both were laughing at her.

She got to her feet and handed the doll to her little girl.

“How did you get in?” She glared at the actor.

“Your son here was kind enough to let me in when I knocked,” He ruffled Morgan's hair.

“Morgan Whitmore, what have I told you about opening the door for strangers?” She put her hands on her hips.

“You told me not to open the door for strangers but he's not a stranger. You said your friend Tom was coming over and he said his name was Tom. Plus, he's Draco Malfoy, Mom,”

Sunny shook her head and rolled her eyes. “I forgot you were a fan of those movies,” She muttered.

“Come on, love. I brought pizza. It's on the counter downstairs in the kitchen,” He held out his hand to her and Sunny reluctantly took it.


	6. Chapter 6

They made their way down into the southern comfort styled kitchen where Sunny found that Tom had brought plain cheese pizza – every kid's favorite – from the kids favorite Ma and Pa pizza shop, a bottle of red wine for them, and a two-liter of soda for the kids.

"I know root beer is caffeine free – figured you wouldn't want the sprouts bouncing off the walls," He explained.

"That was really thoughtful," Sunny smiled and as any good parent who had dealt with a child on a sugar high knew...the gesture was appreciated.

She got plates and glasses out of the cupboard and set the table before everyone sat down to eat.

"So, Morgan, are you in school yet, mate?" Tom warmed her heart by making conversation with her son.

Morgan nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, I started last week."

"Do you like it?"

Morgan shrugged. "It's okay, but there is this one girl, Ashley, who keeps trying to kiss me at recess...it's gross!" He pulled a disgusted face.

Sunny and Tom both got a good laugh.

"You won't always think it's gross," Sunny informed her oldest child.

"Yes, I will!" Morgan nodded and crossed his arms over his chest.

Tom chuckled, "I'll remind you of that when you are sixteen,"

Who the hell said he was going to be around when Morgan was sixteen? That was eleven years in the future.

"I go to school too!" Erica pipped up not wanting to be left out of the conversation.

"Yeah...baby school." Morgan snorted mocking his baby sister.

"It's not baby school, Morgan Joseph. You went there too. It's pre-school. Stop being mean to your sister." Sunny scolded.

"I went to preschool too, Erica...and I'm certainly not a baby. Pre-school isn't baby school," Tom smiled at the little girl who looked on the verge of tears.

Tom earned a piece of her well-guarded heart at his treatment of her children. He was a much sought-after celebrity. How was it that she had gotten lucky enough to catch his eye when he could probably have someone like Emma Watson if he wanted her? How was it that this amazing man was sitting at her dinner table and comforting her daughter like a natural father?


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: My mom's crazy Christian best friend told me everything that Sunny says Rebecca told her in this chapter. Insane, right?
> 
> Author's Note II: The name of the song in this chapter is I Wanna Be Loved Like That and is by and © copyright the band Shenandoah.

As the music ended, Tom pulled her to sit back on the couch and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

“So, how was your first date with a single mom?” Sunny laughed nervously.

Tom smiled and kissed her temple, “I've thoroughly enjoyed myself. Getting to hang out with you and the kids makes me feel normal. I haven't had that feeling in a very long time...not since I was a kid. I'd like to do this again sometime soon...if you're interested.”

Sunny smiled, “I'd like that a lot...and Tom, you are normal. You just grew up in a very strange world.”

Tom laid down on the couch and pulled her to lay against his chest. “Nice to see you're warming up to me, love. Now, I want to ask you a question...” He ran his hand up and down her spine.

“What's the question?”

“I really want to try my hand at a relationship with you but first I would like to know why you don't trust men?” His tone wasn't harsh, just curious and for the first time since Shawn had destroyed her faith in men, she wanted to try her hand at a relationship...and she wanted to try with Tom.

Sunny took a deep breath before telling her story, “When I was a kid growing up in North Carolina, my daddy ran out on me and my momma. Momma died in a car accident when I was sixteen and I spent the next six months trying to find my daddy. I was living with my momma's baptist best friend...her name was Rebecca and she constantly told me that everything I did – listening to country music, dancing, watching Smallville – was sending me to hell. Once, she even told me that my momma wasn't watching over me from heaven. She said that heaven was a perfect paradise and if my momma looked down and saw me sinning, she would be sad so God wouldn't allow her to watch me. That's the only way heaven could be perfect according to Rebecca.” She got a bit choked up. Tom held her just a little bit tighter and it gave her the courage to continue. “When I finally got my hands on my daddy's phone number, I gave him a call. He told me that he didn't have a daughter and to never contact him again...he had a wife and two boys that he didn't want to upset.”

“Your father is a fucking idiot, Sunny,” Tom growled in what almost seemed to be a protective way.

“I haven't heard from him since. When I was eighteen, I met Shawn. I had just moved out of Rebecca;s house and was living paycheck to paycheck and working full-time at a local grocery store. Here came this handsome guy walking into the store one day...he swept me off my feet. It wasn't long before I was pregnant with Morgan and his Southern Baptist family made us get married. Not long after that, I discovered that Shawn wasn't the white knight that I thought he was.” Her voice started to break and she hated herself for it.s

“What did he do?” There was a hard edge to Tom's tone as he brought a hand up to massage the back of her neck.

“When he wasn't deployed, he ran around on me...even gave me an STD when I was pregnant with Morgan. The night before he was deployed for the final time, when I was expecting Erica and three months along, I confronted him and...he got violent.” She refused to cry but she was barely holding the tears at bay.

“The bastard hit you?” Tom growled.

“Yeah, Morgan was barely two and saw him do it. He still has nightmares about it three years later.”

“If he wasn't already dead...” Tom let the threat hang in the air but Sunny could fill in the blanks.

“Yeah, but he it.” She reminded him. “I moved out here to get away from his family after he died. I've built a pretty good life for me and the kids. They're happy and healthy and I couldn't ask for anything more than that.”

“You're a strong woman, love,” He whispered to her. “And I know you have no reason to trust me yet, but I'm going to prove to you that you can.”

“Won't dating me affect your career? I mean dating a single mother probably won't look good to your female fans.”

He laughed. “To be honest...I don't give a fuck what the public thinks anymore. I up my whole childhood...I won't give up any more. I want you and the rest of the world can go fuck themselves for all that I care.”

Sunny, in a moment of boldness, looked up and gently kissed him. Tom pulled her tighter against him and deepened the kiss until she felt his hands slip under her shirt.

“Tom, we can't,” She pulled away panting.

“Why not, love?” He leaned up nd started trailing kisses up her neck.

“The kids,” She pushed him away and moved off of him to sit on the couch.

“Shit, I'm sorry, Sunny,” He sat up. “I wasn't thinking...”

“It's okay,” She smiled. “I got carried away too. We just need to take this slow. I have to think about Morgan and Erica in all this too.”

Tom leaned in and kissed her. “It's okay, I understand. I'm in this for more than sex. We can go as slow as you want.”

“Thanks, I want this...I really do,” She leaned her head on his shoulder.

“I should head out, love. I can't be held accountable for my actions if I stay.” He kissed the top of her head.

“See you tomorrow?” She stood and walked him to the door.

“Nothing could keep me away,” He stole one more kiss and was gone.


	8. Chapter 8

Two weeks later, it was Tom's last day at the call center and it had probably been the best day that Sunny had ever had while at work. Tom had met her, bright and early, at the door to the building with a smile, a kiss, and an iced coffee. He had done this every morning since their first date. Every night since that Monday he had had dinner with her and the kids. He was quickly becoming a fixture in the Whitmore house just as he was a fixture at work. He again shadowed her all day but it didn't annoy her like it had on his first day. The fact that he enjoyed pulling her into empty meeting rooms to make out like teenagers probably had something to do with it. The fact that he made an otherwise mind-numbing job fun also probably played a part. At one point Trish had threatened to write her up after she had allowed Tom to get on the phone and make a few calls. This wouldn't have been a problem for her boss except for the fact that her boyfriend had put on the WORST southern accent (mimicking her he had said) and told the customers that he was calling from UPS and not FedEx.

At noon, while her agents were out at lunch, the two of them sat at her desk, munching on Doritos and talking.

“I've noticed something about you...” Tom said with a smirk as he spun around in his chair one time.

She looked at him curiously. Just what had Mr. Malfoy noticed?

“And what would that be?” She asked as she wrote comments (You're calling and hanging up to get this number of calls, aren't you? You can't put everyone who is mean to you on the Do Not Call List.) on her team's stat sheets.

“You hate this job.”

Sunny gave a rather unladylike snort, “We all hate this job but it pays well and the hours are decent...those are things you have to take into account when you're a parent.”

“If you could do anything in the world...chase your dream...what would you do?” Tom leaned forward a little in his chair and looked her dead in the eye.

“Truth?”

“Truth.” He nodded.

Sunny set her pen down. “I used to dream about raising a big family. I wanted to be the mom that drove carpool and made homemade meals every night. I wanted the kind of family that I never had growing up...but that dream died when I married Shawn.” She said sadly.

Tom shook his head and smiled. “You amaze me, Sunny Whitmore.”

“Why?”

“Because you dream of something so selfless, so pure, that you could never put a monetary value on it.” The way he was looking at her was extremely intense and there was some hidden emotion in his tone.

“Money isn't everything...family is.” Sunny replied sagely. “I just wish Shawn had felt the same way.”

Tom reached out and grabbed her hand. Holding it in his own, he ran his thumb along her wrist as he spoke, “You have a heart of gold, love. You went through hell...yes, and I wish to God that you hadn't. But some good came out of what you went through. If you hadn't have gone through that you wouldn't have those two beautiful children that I am slowly falling in love with. You wouldn't have felt the need to leave South Carolina and move to LA. I wouldn't have met you.”

Sunny, unable to think of anything better to say, responded, “You read Harlequin romance novels when you're alone, don't you?”

“I'm being serious, Sunny,” Tom said solemnly.

“So am I,” Sunny nodded. “Normal men don't say those types of things...they really don't say those things after only a week of dating.”

Was it normal men who didn't say those kinds of things – or just the men that she had encountered in her short life? Either way, she was scared of whatever was going on between them.

“No,” He said firmly. “The men that you've had the displeasure of knowing don't say those things. Good men do...and that's what I'm trying to be for you...and for Morgan and Erica...a good man.” He sighed. “Do I have to go out and buy a bulldozer to knock down your walls, woman?”

“I'm trying, Tom...I really am.” It was the truth but she had years of experience with men working against her.

“I know,” Tom leaned in a little further and kissed her tenderly on the lips. “You're lucky that I'm stubborn and have all the time in the world.” He kissed yet again.

It was at that moment that Nicki came running up to her desk in a complete panic. She had tears streaming down her normally perfectly made up face.

“God, damn it, Sunny! Don't you answer your phone?!” She screeched.

“I have it on silent...why? What's wrong?” Both Sunny and Tom shot out of their seats upon seeing the woman's distress.

“It's Erica. Her school called me when they couldn't reach you...”

“What is it?!” Sunny demanded becoming panicked now.

“Her class was outside on the playground and she slipped away from the group. She managed to get out of the gate and she wandered into the street. She was hit by a car!” Nicki was barely holding it together. “They've taken her to UCLA Medical Center.”

“Oh my God,” Sunny quickly grabbed her purse and car keys. She didn't even think of telling Trish that she was leaving. All she could think about was getting to her baby.

“I'm driving, love.” Tom grabbed the keys out of her hand as the two of them rushed out the door.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to a bitchy night nurse at my local hospital. The one who came into my room eating ice cream when I was admitted for a severe ulcer and couldn’t stop throwing up...because you totally want to see someone eating when you’re throwing up.

Arriving at UCLA Medical Center, Sunny rushed up to the front desk in the emergency department with Tom hot on her heels.

“I’m looking for Erica Whitmore.” She told the young nurse sitting behind the admissions desk.

“What’s your relationship to her?” The nurse seemed almost bored with her job.

“I’m her mother.” Sunny was on the verge of completely melting down.

“Follow me,” The nurse stood and pressed a button on the desk. The double doors behind her opened and led them through the halls of the emergency department until they reached a room hidden away in the back.

“Wait here. The doctor will be back to talk to you shortly.” She told them and for the first time, she got a good look at Tom. “Oh my God, you’re the guy who plays Draco Malfoy!” She giggled.

“Yeah,” Tom sighed in frustration. Now was NOT the time for fan girls.

“Can I have your autograph?” She pulled a pad out of the pocket of her scrubs and started digging for a pen.

It was at this point that Sunny finally lost it.

“Who the fuck do you think you are?!”

Her baby was lying, injured, in a bed somewhere in the hospital and this bitch had the nerve to ask her boyfriend for his autograph?!

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Tom demanded to know angrily. “Do you not have any common sense...or a soul?!”

“What?” The nurse asked in confusion. She honestly didn’t seem to know what she had done wrong.

“My girlfriend’s daughter, a kid that means the world to ME, was hit by a fucking car. We don’t know how badly she’s hurt, and you are seriously asking me for my autograph?!”

Sunny had never seen Tom that angry.

“She’s your girlfriend?” The green-eyed monster made an appearance and the nurse looked Sunny up and down in obvious disgust.

“Get the fuck out!” Tom shouted.

At that moment, a middle-aged doctor entered the room.

“Nurse Spencer, leave...NOW.” He glared at the young woman.

Throwing a glare in Sunny’s direction, Nurse Spencer left the room.

“I’m sorry about that. You can rest assured that she will be dealt with.” The doctor apologized. “I’m Dr. Bailey.” He introduced himself.

“How’s Erica?” Sunny didn’t bother with pleasantries.

“She’s stable. Her left arm is fractured in three places and she has a few cuts and bruises but she should be just fine.”

Sunny sighed in relief and Tom came and wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her temple.

“When can we see her?” He asked.

“The two of you can follow me.”

Dr. Bailey led them from the room and down the hallway until they arrived in a room decorated with bright (and creepy) clowns all over the walls.

Lying in the bed was Erica. The tiny child was wearing a pink cast and had bruises all over her pretty face.

“Momma?” She asked pitifully.

“I’m here, baby.” Sunny went to her side and kissed her forehead.

“I don’t feel good.” The little girl whimpered. “I want to go home.”

Sunny noticed Tom quickly wipe a tear from his face. He really did care about her kids.

“She should be able to leave in the morning.” Dr. Bailey informed the couple. “We just want to keep her overnight for observation.”

“Thank you.” Tom shook the doctor’s hand before he excused himself.

Tom made his way up to the bed where Sunny now sat holding her daughter in her arms.

“Tom?” The girl held out her arms.

He bent down and gently hugged her. “Hello, sweetie.” He kissed her forehead.

“I want to go home.” Erica whined again.

“Soon, I promise.” He brushed some her dark hair out of her face before turning to look at Sunny. “Love? I’m going to call Nicki and have her pick up Morgan from school. I have some work stuff to take care of. I’ll be back soon.”


	10. Chapter 10

It had been three weeks since the last time Sunny had heard from Tom. He had walked out of Erica’s hospital room and - from the looks of it - her life.

She wished that she could say that she had known this would happen, that she had expected it...but she couldn’t. She had actually begun to trust Tom, to love him even.

Erica had been released from the hospital the morning after the accident. After her little girl was home and reunited with her older brother, she had immediately demanded to know where Tom was. Morgan had a similar question.

What hurt and pissed her off more than anything else wasn’t that Tom had left her, but that he had left her kids. He had wormed his way into their innocent little hearts and then left them in the dust the first chance he got.

It was after ten and Sunny was seated on the couch, channel surfing. She stopped on an entertainment news program when she saw a photograph of Tom up next to the head of the host. Even though just the sight of Tom made her heart hurt and her temper flare, she couldn’t help but turn the volume up.

“Actor Tom Felton shocked fans and Hollywood today by announcing that he pulling out of the highly anticipated upcoming Ron Howard film, Connections. When pressed for comment, the actor’s people would only say that the actor will be taking some time away from Hollywood to focus on his family and his personal life.”

Before the report ended, the doorbell rang.

Pushing herself off of the couch, she hurried to answer the door before the bell woke Morgan and Erica.

When she pulled open the heavy wooden door, she was shocked to find a tired-looking Tom standing on her porch.

“Hey, love.” He smiled weakly at her.

He almost looked afraid of her.

Sunny did the first thing that felt natural...she slapped him clear across the face.

“Where in the hell have you been?!” She demanded to know. She wanted to scream at hi; wanted to beat the hell out of him. The only thing holding her back was a fear of waking the kids. The last thing Morgan and Erica needed to see was Mommy going apeshit.

Tom rubbed his cheek when she had hit him, “Can we please talk? I understand that you’re pissed...and you have every right to be.”

“Pissed doesn’t even begin to cover how I’m feeling right now, Thomas Felton!” She growled low in her throat.

“Can I come in, please? I have a good explanation...I swear.” He pleaded.

Sunny didn’t say a word. She just stepped aside to allow him entrance to the house. He had better have a damn good excuse for his actions.


	11. Chapter 11

After Sunny closed the front door, Tom followed her into the living room where she took a seat on the couch with her arms crossed over her chest.

He paced back and forth in of her for a few minutes and it was just as Sunny was starting to get really impatient that he finally spoke.

“I love you.” He blurted out.

“You love me?” She snorted. “You ignore me for weeks, you depress the hell out of my kids by staying away, and you say that you love me?”

Tom shook his head, “Bloody hell...that's not what I meant to say.”

“You don't love me?” Now she was feeling confused on top of feeling hurt.

He started tugging on the ends of his hair. “No, I do, but that's not what I wanted to say.” He released his hair and took a deep breath. “I quit, Sunny. I quit my movie.”

“Okay...?” Now she was just starting to think that he'd lost his mind entirely.

“I quit because I want to be with you and the kids. I couldn't be what you guys needed if I was never going to be around.” He explained.

“Why didn't you call me?” Sunny demanded to know even as the ice around her heart rapidly started to thaw. The family he had left his movie to focus on was hers.

“I didn't want you to try and talk me out of it,” Tom replied, sitting down next to her and taking her hands in his. “I love the three of you...so damn much. I didn't realize how much until I saw Erica laying in that hospital bed. I realized that it would have destroyed me if anything had happened to her...if anything happened to any of you.”

By this point, tears were streaming unchecked down Sunny's face.

Tom leaned over and took her face in his hands, “Please, don't cry, love. I never meant to make you cry.”

Sunny laughed through her tears, “I'm crying because I'm happy, you moron.”

“So...you're going to keep me?” He asked hopefully.

“I guess we'll keep you for as long as you want to stay.” She responded playfully but softly as she turned her head to lay a kiss on the palm of his hand.

“Is forever okay?” He asked as tears started to form in his own eyes.

“Forever's perfect.”

Tom leaned down and kissed her and Sunny couldn't help but moan. She had missed this. The feel of his lips moving gently against hers, the odd but pleasant taste of citrus and spearmint that was uniquely Tom, the way his right hand automatically went to the back of her head to tangle in her hair while the other went around her waist to pull her closer.

She pulled way, “Take me upstairs?” She requested a little breathlessly.

“Are you sure, love?”

“Positive.”

 

 

_**[MY WEBSITE](http://www.badwolf1988.wixsite.com/badwolf1988) ** _


	12. Chapter 12

“ _Are you sure?”_

“ _Positive.”_

Tom picked her up in his arms and carried her up the stairs, her legs wrapped around his waist. Making his way into her bedroom, he lay her on the blue duvet covered bed in the coastal themed room. Moving away from, he went and gently closed and locked the door so they wouldn't wake the kids or have them walk in on them.

He made his way back over to the bed and crawled up her body to lay between her legs. Leaning down, he whispered in her ear, “I love you, Sunny.” He placed a kiss on her lips as he gently tugged her pajama pants down her body, taking her panties with them.

“I love you, Tom.” She breathed as he made his way down to settle on his stomach between her spread thighs.

The sound of her telling him she loved him seemed to spur him into action and he plunged his tongue deep within her.

“Oh, shit!” Sunny had to put a hand over her mouth to contain the sounds of her moans.

He buried his face in her, flicking his tongue rapidly over her sensitive clit, pausing ever now and then to suck the sensitive ball of nerves into his mouth.

“Oh, Tom...I'm go...going...to cum...” She mewled, his fingers digging into the fabric of the duvet.

He placed a hand on her stomach to keep her still and moaned encouragingly against her moist skin, the vibrations sending Sunny crashing over the edge.

As she came down from her high, Tom crawled back up the bed, laying a quick kiss on her lips before standing and stripping out of his clothes. Joining her once again, he started to unbutton her pajama top but she grabbed his hands and stilled them.

“What's wrong, love?” He asked her concernedly. “Do you want to stop? We have all the time in the world. We don't have to do this tonight.” He reached up and caressed her jaw with his knuckles.

Sunny shook her head. “It's not that. It's just...I've had two kids, Tom. I don't exactly look like a supermodel under this shirt.”

Tom chuckled and took the fabric in his hands, tearing it open. He leaned down and gently started placing kisses on her stomach, giving every tiny stretch mark attention. “You're beautiful.” He told her. “These little lines are things of beauty to me. Proof that you carried both of those little miracles asleep in their beds down the hall. There is nothing sexier than that to me. Maybe I'll be lucky enough to add a few marks of my own in time.” He moved back up to lay between her thighs, his hard length rubbing against her already sensitive nub. “You're exquisite, baby, and I love everything about you. May I please make love to you so I can show you how much?” He laid a tender kiss on her lips.

Overwhelmed with love for the man hovering above her and unable to speak, she simply nodded her head. As he slid inside her for the first time, the tears of happiness that she had been trying to contain finally spilled over. 

 

 

**_[MY WEBSITE](http://www.badwolfrose.com) _ **


	13. Chapter 13

The next morning, Sunny and Tom made sure that they were both out of bed and dressed before the kids awoke for the day. It was scary for Sunny, having Tom in her house. Scary, not because she feared he would leave her but because it really felt like he belonged there. Watching him standing at her kitchen counter, fixing them both coffee while she started on breakfast nearly made her heart explode with happiness. She was terrified of losing her newfound sense of peace.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt his arms snake around her waist. “Stop overthinking things, love.” He placed a kiss on the top of her head.

“I'm just worried that this will all go away.” She sighed.

“No use worrying about things that are never going to happen.” He assured her as he pulled away and started taking plates out of the cupboard.

“What's going to happen with us? With your job? I mean we never discussed what pulling out of the movie meant for your career.” She asked as she was cracking eggs into a bowl.

“Pulling out of that movie probably saved my career, to be honest. That role would have typecast me for sure. I was thinking of reading some script and maybe accepting one good role this summer when Morgan is out of school and you and the kids can come on location with me.” Tom shrugged. “And as for us? I was thinking about living happily ever after?” He smirked.

“Just because Morgan's out of school doesn't mean that we can travel with you. I have a job, Tom. One that I go back to on Monday. And you are aware that Morgan and Erica aren't your kids, right? You don't have to plan work around them.” Sunny poured the eggs into a pan on the stove.

“Not my kids yet,” Tom muttered so low that she didn't hear him, just saw his lips move. “As for your job, we'll discuss that later. Right now, I hear the pitter patter of little feet running down the stairs.”

Sure enough, not even ten seconds after he spoke, a pajama-clad Morgan and Erica, still in her cast, came running into the kitchen.

“Tom!” They both yelled as soon as they saw him and bounded into his arms.

He caught them easily and hugged them tight. “How are my favorite munchkins? I've missed you guys!”

“I get my cast off today,” Erica told him with a big smile on her face. “Want to come?”

“I'd love to, ladybug.” He kissed her cheek and made her giggle.

“Tom, guess what?” Morgan asked, bouncing up and down.

“What, mate?”

“Mom signed me up for hockey. I get to go to my first practice today!” The boy was clearly excited.

“That's wonderful.” Tom looked over at her. “We're going to have a busy day today, aren't we, love?” He asked.

Sunny was piling eggs, bacon, and fruit onto four plates when she responded, “Welcome to parenthood.”

“I like it.” He smiled and nodded.

As they gathered around the table to eat, Morgan was the first to speak,”Are you going to stay this time, Tom? We missed you.”

Tom nodded and looked at the little boy warmly. “I'm staying for good...if it's okay with you and your sister?”

“YES!” Morgan and Erica both beamed at this news.

“So, I have an idea...” He looked to Sunny who simply raised an eyebrow in question. “Well, I've been telling my mum and dad all about the three of you and they would really like to meet you. I was thinking of flying all of us to London to visit them for Christmas.”

“Can we, Mom?” Morgan got excited again.

“We'll see. Tom and I need to discuss it first.” She gave him a pointed look.

 

 

**_[MY WEBSITE](http://www.badwolfrose.com) _ **


	14. Chapter 14

After a long day, that included a trip to the doctor's office to have Erica's cast removed and cheering on Morgan at his first hockey practice, Sunny, Tom, and the kids were walking around Wal-Mart while waiting for Erica's antibiotic prescription to be filled. Seeing as Halloween was only two weeks away, they were strolling through the Halloween department looking at costumes for the kids.

“Mommy, can I go as this?” Erica held up an angel costume she had grabbed off the rack.

“Sure, princess.” Sunny went to the rack and helped her daughter find her size.

“Why don't you go as this, Erica?” Morgan held up a devil costume and taunted. “It fits you better.”

Erica's lower lip started to tremble.

“Morgan! Put that down and say sorry to your sister, right now. That was completely uncalled for,” Tom scolded the boy.

Morgan, in shock at having been yelled at by Tom, put the costume back on the rack and did as he was told as tears slowly started to leak from his green eyes.

“What did I do?” Tom whispered to Sunny concernedly.

“He's not used to you yelling at him. He's a little shocked. I'm usually the bad guy,” Sunny explained. “You've always been more of a playmate to him.”

Tom nodded before walking up to the little boy. “Morgan, come with me for a minute, mate.” He took his hand and led him to the other end of the aisle. Close enough that Sunny could hear them but far enough away to give them some privacy. Sunny watched as Tom crouched down to the boy's level before asking, “do you understand why I was cross with you?”

“Because I was being mean to Erica,” Morgan sniffled.

“You know that isn't right, mate. You're her big brother. Big brothers look out for their younger brothers and sisters.”

“But she is so annoying,” Morgan whined.

Tom laughed. “That's what sisters do, I'm afraid. I should know... I used to annoy my big brothers all the time when I was a kid.”

“You did?” Sunny chuckled to herself when she saw the look of surprise on her son's face. His little mind just couldn't wrap itself around the idea that Tom was an annoying little brother to someone.

“Sure did – still do sometimes.” Tom laughed again before turning serious. “You know that just because I yelled at you, that doesn't mean that I don't love you, right?”

“Daddy used to yell at me and mommy. Once when he did, he hit mommy.” Morgan looked down, not meeting Tom's eyes. Sunny's heart shattered into a million different pieces. She knew that Morgan remembered what happened and even dreamed about it but he had never admitted that the ‘bad man’ that he saw was his father.

She watched as Tom reached out and tilted Morgan's little chin up so he would look at him. “I will NEVER hit mummy, you, or Erica. Do you understand me, Morgan? I love you guys.”

“Promise?” Morgan asked shyly.

“Promise.” Tom nodded.

“Are you going to go away again?” Morgan asked for the second time that day.

“Nope. You're stuck with me I'm afraid, mate.” Tom smiled as he got back to his feet and pulled the little boy into a hug.

“Good,” Morgan said as he pulled away. “Are you our daddy now?”

Sunny's heart stopped for a moment and she watched as Tom froze. This was NOT a discussion to be having in the middle of an LA Wal-Mart. Tom seemed to recover quicker than she did and responded, “we will talk about that one later. For now, I'm just your friend that loves you and helps to take care of you, okay?” Luckily, he had the perfect response because Sunny had been coming up empty.

“Okay, but Erica and I would like it. We talked about it.” Dear God in heaven, her children were trying to kill her. And when exactly had they had that conversation?

Sunny watched as Tom's grin widened at her son's words before her boys came back over to join her and Erica. “Everything okay?” she asked as though she hadn't heard the entire conversation.

“Everything's perfect, love.” Tom dropped a quick kiss to her lips, stupid grin still firmly in place.

  

[ _**MY WEBSITE**_](http://www.badwolfrose.com)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my beta read @Christlove88


	15. Chapter 15

_“Everything okay?”_

_“Everything's perfect, love.”_

“So, what do you want to go as, Morgan?” Sunny asked her son.

Morgan held up a costume and Sunny was barely able to keep her laughter in check. Poor Tom looked beyond embarrassed. Morgan was holding up a Draco Malfoy costume.

“Yeah, but Draco's mean. Don't you want to go as a good guy?” Sunny found it amusing as hell to watch her boyfriend try and talk her son out of dressing as his most famous character for Halloween.

“Oh, I know!” Morgan got excited and grabbed a different costume off the rack that had caught his eye. “How about this?”

Tom took the costume and read the tag. “What the hell is a Dog the Bounty Hunter?”

Erica tugged on his pant leg to get his attention. “No swearing, Tom.”

“Sorry, munchkin.”

“Dog the Bounty Hunter is a bounty hunter that is on TV. Mom got my middle name, Leland, from his son.”

Tom took in the all-black outfit, fake badge, and blond mullet. “Really, love?” He turned to Sunny and asked with a smirk.

“Keep in mind that I was a teenager when I had him.” She rolled her eyes. “Plus, Leland is a unique name that you really don't hear anymore.”

“Okkaayy,” Tom laughed. “As unique as Leland is and as much as I do love the name,” he smiled at Morgan, “I'm naming our next kid.”

“Why?” She wasn't pulling away like Tom obviously thought she would and Sunny could see the pleasure on his face that came along with that fact.

“Because you've named these two after men you fancy.” He pointed at Morgan and Erica.

“How would you know where I got Erica's name?” she challenged. He was right but she wasn't backing down unless he had proof.

“Nikki told me,” Tom laughed at her. “You named Erica after the Phantom of the Opera.”

She was going to get her best friend back for this one. Now, it was her turn to have some fun at her boyfriend's expense. “If I name my kids after crushes, you shouldn't worry about the next one.”

“Why?” If he had been surprised that she hadn't been upset by him mentioning them having a child together, he seemed downright flabbergasted that she brought it back up herself.

“The worst thing that could happen is we end up with a Tom, Jr.” She smirked. Tom was, for once, speechless. “Okay, time to go.” Point Sunny.

They picked up Erica's prescription and paid for their purchases before heading out to the parking lot. The minute the stepped outside, they were blinded by bright flashes. There was a gaggle of photographers surrounding them. Tom picked up Morgan while Sunny grabbed Erica to keep the kids from getting trampled by the paparazzi... who really didn't seem to care that the children were terrified.

“Tom whose kids are those?!”

“Is she your girlfriend?!”

Question after question was thrown at them until they all managed to get safely in the car. Once in their car seats, Erica started laughing at the cameramen and Morgan stuck out his tongue. “Buttheads!” he shouted and Sunny didn't correct him because... the photographers were buttheads in her opinion.

Tom started the car and as he drove towards home, he said to her, “I'm so sorry, baby.”

Sunny reached over and grabbed his free hand giving it a gentle squeeze. “I knew this was coming. It's alright... it's not scaring me away.”

 

 

[ _**MY WEBSITE** _ ](http://www.badwolfrose.com)

 


	16. Chapter 16

When they arrived home, Sunny put Erica down for a nap in her bedroom. The little one had been awfully cranky. Morgan, on the other hand, ran off to play with a neighbor boy.

“How does that lad still have so much energy?” Tom was watching Morgan and his friend play with fake, plastic swords on the front lawn when Sunny arrived in the living room. “I mean, the little buggar just got back from hockey practice.”

Sunny laughed as she plopped down to on the sofa. “No clue. If we could bottle that energy and sell it, we'd be richer than Mark Zuckerberg. Ask your mom, you were probably just as hyper once upon a time.”

“Speaking of my mum...” Tom took a seat beside her.

“Oh, no...” Sunny groaned. She knew this was coming after his comment at breakfast.

“It wouldn't be as bad as you think,” Tom rushed to assure her. “I've been telling her all about you and the kids pretty much from the moment we met. Mum was actually the one who encouraged me to drop out of the movie and spend more time with you guys. She said she had never heard me sounding happier.”

“Really?” Sunny looked up at him in awe.

“Really.” He looked at her and nodded. “Anyway, while you were putting Erica down, mum called and told me she saw those paparazzi pictures of you, me, and the kids online. She wanted me to let you know that you and the munchkins are beautiful.” He smiled.

Sunny blushed and leaned over to cuddle into him so she could hide her face in his chest.

“She asked me, again, to invite the three of you to spend Christmas in London.”

“You seriously want to do this?” Sunny sat up and looked at him seriously.

He nodded. “Yeah. Since we're getting serious, I figured it would be good for you guys to meet my family.”

Sunny knew that this part of the relationship process was coming but she still dreaded it. She hadn't come from a ‘normal’ family and she had no idea how to behave around one. On the spot, she came up with a way to make the meet and greet easier on herself. “You know, I know you and your family obviously don't celebrate it but I've never had a big family Thanksgiving.” This was true. It was usually just her and the kids. “Do you think your parents and brothers might want to spend Thanksgiving here and Christmas in London?” Meeting his family for the first time would be a lot easier for Sunny on her home turf.

“I'm sure I could talk them all into it.” Tom smiled and nodded, seemingly pleased with the idea. “Maybe we could start a yearly tradition for the kids. Thanksgiving in America and Christmas in the U.K.”

Sunny loved the way Tom spoke of their future together as though there was no doubt in his mind that they were destined to be together.

“Yeah, I like that idea.” She leaned up and stole a kiss.

 

 

**_[MY WEBSITE](http://www.badwolfrose.com) _ **

 


	17. Chapter 17

Halloween was upon them before they knew it. Tom had taken the rather odd pairing of Angel and Dog the Bounty Hunter out trick or treating while Sunny had stayed home to pass out candy. Upon Tom and the kids' return, the four of them cuddled up on the couch to watch Hocus Pocus. Angel and Dog fell asleep halfway through the film. Morgan was laying with his head in Sunny's lap while Erica was curled up on Tom's chest with her thumb in her mouth.

“So, how was trick or treating?” Sunny asked quietly.

“Pretty fun. Erica kept trying to sneak and eat candy behind my back,” Tom chuckled, running his fingers through the little girl's hair. “And the old lady on Bleeker Street thinks it's awesome that Erica and Morgan's dad dressed up as Draco Malfoy.”

Sunny laughed. She wanted to point out that his chosen attire of emerald green t-shirt paired with black jeans had probably helped the old woman's assumption just a bit. She noticed that he didn't seem bothered by the fact that the woman thought that he was the kids' dad but she didn't say anything about that either. Instead, Sunny chose to bring up a topic that they both seemed to be avoiding.

“Can I ask you something?” she asked.

“Yes, I will marry you,” Tom replied with a straight face.

“I'm being serious.”

“And I wasn't?” She gave him an annoyed look. “Okay, sorry, go ahead.”

“Are you living here now?”

“Do you mind me being here?” he countered.

“No, not at all.” Sunny shook her head. “I love having you here. I just want to know where we stand, I guess.”

“I love being here with you guys and I really have no desire to stay at my place anymore. Home to me is wherever you three are,” he told her truthfully. “I'd very much like to live with you.”

“I'd really like you to stay,” Sunny told him softly.

That seemed to settle things and Tom nodded. He leaned over, careful not wake Morgan or Erica, and laid a soft kiss on her lips.

“We should probably get our little angel and bounty hunter in bed,” Tom whispered against her lips when they parted.

Sunny pulled away. “I'll get Morgan. You have Erica?”

Tom nodded as he carefully got to his feet with the little girl in his arms.

 

 

_**[MY WEBSITE](http://www.badwolfrose.com) ** _

 


	18. Chapter 18

Tom laid Erica down on her bed and took off her shoes. He removed her halo and wings but he let her sleep in her white satin angel dress. Changing her into her pajamas would only wake her and he knew from experience that she'd be wide awake and ready to play if that happened. Nope. Best to leave her just as she was. Tom was hoping to steal some much needed alone time with her mommy.

He pulled the covers up over the little girl and leaned down to kiss her forehead. “Night, munchkin. I love you.”

“Night-night, daddy,” Erica whispered back, still half-asleep.

Tom felt like the wind had been knocked out of him. What should he do? He certainly couldn't wake the child to correct her. Was that really how the little fairy of a girl looked at him? He needed some air. He knew that after putting Morgan to bed, Sunny would stop in to say goodnight to Erica before going about her own nightly routine. He quietly made his way out of Erica's room, down the stairs, and out the front door. He went to his car and retrieved his pack of cigarettes out of the center console and went to the backyard to sit on the swings and have a smoke.

He was a jumble of different emotions. He was happy, honored even, that Erica loved him enough to call him 'daddy'. He knew that, unlike Morgan, he was the only man she had ever called that. He knew that he had to tell Sunny and that she would probably sit the little girl down and tell her that he wasn't her father... but Tom didn't want her to. He wanted to be 'daddy', had for a long time... but he wanted it forever. If he was even going to consider wearing the title of father, he had to know that it was one that he'd wear for life. If, God forbid, he and Sunny ever split up he needed to be assured that he wouldn't be ripped out of the children's lives and vice versa. That wouldn't be good for any of them and would scar the kids for life. He and Sunny needed to stop just playing house, it was obviously confusing Erica and Morgan. They needed to make everything legal and permanent.

“Babe, those things are going to kill you.”

Tom hadn't noticed her exit the house but Sunny was now seated on the swing beside him. “Erica called me 'daddy' when I put her to bed,” he just blurted out without thinking about it.

“I'm sorry?” Sunny's words came out more like a question and there was a hint of anxiety in her tone like she was worried he was upset.

Tom smiled even though she couldn't see it in the dark. “There's nothing to be sorry about, love.”

“I don't know what to say,” Sunny admitted as she started to gently swing back and forth. “And it's not just you. I don't know what to say to Erica. I never planned for this and, as a mom, I'm out of my depths. I want what's best for Erica and Morgan but, right now, I don't know what that is.”

Tom threw away his cigarette and reached out and grabbed the chain of her swing, stopping her movement. “Do you trust me, Sunny?”

“What?”

He grabbed her hand and pulled her over to sit on his lap as he swung them slowly. “Do you trust me?”

“Tom, I love you. I just agreed to live with you.” Sunny laughed. “How could you ask me that?”

“That's not what I meant, love,” he gave her a quick kiss. “I meant do you trust me long term? Do you trust me to scare the hell out of all of Erica's future boyfriends? To walk her down the aisle one day? Do you trust me to have the talk with Morgan and teach him how not to be a wanker to women like his sperm donor? Do you trust me to be their father, Sunny?”

“Yes, I do,” came Sunny's whispered reply in the dark.

Keeping one hand on the chain of the swing to keep them balanced, Tom reached up and cupped her cheek. “Let me be their dad, Sunny. Let me adopt them, give them my last name.”

That was when Sunny surprised him. “Would it be alright if I had it too?”

Well, he had planned on waiting until Christmas in London to propose but their backyard on Halloween worked too. “Of course you can. I wouldn't want it any other way, sweetheart. We can't have me and the kids being Feltons and you stuck as a Whitmore, can we? There's even a ring for you hidden in my sock drawer.” He had bought it a week ago when he had first started making plans to ask her to marry him.

“Good.” She leaned forward and kissed him.

 

 

**_[MY WEBSITE](http://www.badwolfrose.com) _ **

 


	19. Chapter 19

**THE WEEK BEFORE THANKSGIVING**

  
When Tom walked in the house after picking up the kids from school/preschool, it was to find Sunny laying on the couch, still in her nice work clothes, with a wet washcloth covering her eyes.

“Hey, why don't you two go upstairs and watch a movie in mommy and daddy's room?” He told the kids. Morgan and Erica were still young enough to think it was fun hanging out in their parents' room and ran right up the stairs. Once they were out of earshot, he walked over and crouched down beside the couch. “You alright, love?”

“I have to lay off half of my team or else all of our jobs are being outsourced to India. Those of us not getting pink slips will now be expected to work sixty-hour weeks, two weeks out of every month to pick up the slack. I feel like my head is going to explode and I'm starting to really understand why some people go postal.” Sunny's tone of voice was exhausted. She sounded completely drained and that was not okay with Tom.

“This is getting ridiculous Sunny.” He reached up and started stroking her hair the way he knew she liked when she had a headache. “I'm not sure if you're aware of this or not, but your fiance, the father of your children…” that last part he only added because he liked being able to claim the kids as his now. “Yeah, he was one of the kids from those _Harry Potter_ movies, the bratty blond wizard. You. Don't. Need. To. Work. We're one of those rare families that are lucky enough to be able to afford for mommy not to work. Plus, raising our kids IS work. I have met them, you know. They could run down the Energizer Bunny's batteries.”

Sunny actually chuckled a bit before removing the washcloth and sitting up. “It's hard for me to quit. I've been working pretty much my whole life and a part of me is terrified of ever getting trapped, relying on a man ever again.”

“You're not relying on a man. A man is relying on you... to take care of our kids and help me raise our family. I'm not Shawn. I'm the man who loves you and wants to take care of you and the kids. Sweetheart, you're doing me a favor by allowing me to be selfish enough to ask you to stay home while I support us. This isn't you being spoiled or lazy. This is you making a sacrifice for our family, I get that.” He moved to sit beside her on the couch, making sure to give her a quick kiss when he did.

“How do you literally always know the right thing to say and do?” Sunny asked him with an affectionate smile on her face.

“Because I love you and I let my heart lead me. Always have when it comes to you and the kids. It's served me thus far. Does me saying the right thing mean that you're going to quit?” he asked her hopefully. “I miss you during the day. I'm starting to feel like Michael Keaten in _Mr. Mom_. I actually braided Erica's hair yesterday... it did not turn out well.”

“I heard about that,” Sunny laughed. “Apparently you spent a whole episode of _‘Doc McStuffins’_ untangling her hair.”

“Little rat,” Tom grumbled playfully.

“And, yeah,” Sunny nodded. “I'll put in my two-week notice on Monday morning.”

“Finally,” he pulled her to him for another kiss.

 

 

**_[MY WEBSITE](http://www.badwolfrose.com) _ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a fun fact. What Sunny's company does in this chapter, I actually had happen to me while working the exact same job in college. Long story short, I quit on the spot because the company demanded that I keep the layoffs to myself for two weeks and I refused to screw over my team like that. Now, I only ship FedEx when I have no other choice because that company does NOT do right by its employees. Anyway, they can save money, they'll do it. That includes laying off call agents and only offering shipping insurance up to $1000. So, if what you’re shipping is damaged and worth more than $1000, you're SOL. Half my time as a FedEx call agent was spent trying to talk down angry customers after we destroyed their packages and wouldn't cover the full cost to replace them. Oh, ask me about the time some idiot shipped 10 lbs of marijuana and we delivered to it the wrong address! The wrong address was a cop's house. Only amusing screw up we ever had! 
> 
> Beta Reader's Extra Note: And these days FedEx is apparently the worst freight company for the computer viruses its customers receive through invoices and other notifications emailed to them ruining the hard drive, and that can then be passed on to their email contacts.


	20. Chapter 20

 

**THE SUNDAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING**

It was a hectic day in the soon-to-be Felton household. Sunny and Tom had both risen early because Tom's parents and brothers were arriving that day. Tom's parents were flying in from England and would be occupying the house's only guest bedroom. Tom's brothers, Ashley and Chris, were both married with small children so they had booked a week's stay at the Disney hotel in Anaheim. The only single Felton male, Jonathan, was going to crash on the pull-out sofa in their family room.

Sunny had fixed a quick breakfast consisting of fruit salad and bagels while Tom had the unenviable task of waking two children way earlier than they were used to. After breakfast with two grumpy, demon children, Sunny began getting them ready for the day ahead.

“Mommy,” Erica got Sunny's attention away from the French braid that she was putting her daughter's hair. “Why aren't we going to church today?”

The kids were used to attending Mass on Sundays so they were breaking away from the schedule they were used to. Sunny had been waiting for this question. “Because we're picking up daddy's mommy and daddy from the airport. Remember we talked about them spending Thanksgiving with us?”

“Mom,” Morgan got her attention as he pulled on the clean pair of socks she had given him. “What do we call dad's mom and dad? They're our grandparents, right?”

“Right,” Tom said walking in the sliding glass door that led to the driveway from the family room. “You can call them Nannie and Pop-Pop like your cousins do.”

“Wait, we have cousins now?” Morgan got excited. The kids weren't used to having an extended family. This was all a new, exciting experience for them.

“Yep, four of them,” Tom replied as he bent down to help Morgan tie his shoe. “Abby and Mark are both around your age.”

“Cool!”

“Hey, Sunny, do you wanna tell them where we're taking them this week?” Tom cast a smirk in her direction.

“Well,” Sunny spoke as she finished tying up Erica's hair. “Uncle Ashley and uncle Chris are staying at the Disney hotel so we figured we'd spend Thursday at Disneyland.”

Erica's head whipped around so fast that her braid caught her mother in the face... and the child had really thick hair so it friggin' hurt. “For really real?”

“For really real,” Tom laughed as he lifted his daughter onto his hip. “Wow, love, try saying that five times real fast.”

Morgan attempted it but after the second time through, he got tongue-tied and ended up blowing a raspberry.

“Alright, enough of that.” Sunny got to her feet. “We have to pick up Nannie and Pop-Pop at the airport.” The Felton brothers and their collective families would be arriving later in the day and renting cars at the airport.

Tom opened the sliding glass door. “You know, when I talked to Nannie last night she said something about wanting to have lunch at Lego Land before we came home.”

That was all it took to get the kids out the door and into the SUV.

“They're going to be spoiled rotten before you and your family are done with them,” Sunny chuckled but she was glad to see her kids so happy.

“Kids are supposed to be spoiled by their grandparents on the holidays, sweetheart, and I have five years that I wasn't lucky enough to be around to make up for.” He gave her a quick kiss before they followed the kids outside.

 

 

**_[MY WEBSITE](http://www.badwolfrose.com) _ **

 


End file.
